Connections

1964 | 1981

Donna Hastings ’64 and Maria (Josy) Latorre ’81 would never have met under ordinary circumstances, but they were brought together by Hurricane Maria. Josy (right), who had a career in Puerto Rico in corporate communications as well as music, joined the American Red Cross after the hurricane. Donna (left) has a private psychology practice in New Hampshire and has been a disaster mental health volunteer for the American Red Cross since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. She worked closely with Josy during her second deployment to Puerto Rico.

1949

George H. Rosenfield of Melbourne, Florida, writes: I turned 92 in October and am in fairly good health. After serving in World War II, I had a long career as a geologist for the U.S. Army. Anyone from the Class of ’48, ’49, or ’50, please email me: grosenfield@cfl.rr.com.

1959

1962

Herbert P. Golub retired after almost 50 years as a clinical psychologist. He and his wife, Carol M. Golub, PhD, also a clinical psych­ologist, now reside in Martha’s Vineyard and spend winters in Santa Barbara, California.

1966

Howard Scott has not retired. A writer, he has published 1,700 magazine articles and four books, one of which sold 40,000 copies. He and his wife, Martha, live in Pembroke, Massachusetts, and winter in the Bahamas.

1967

Chris (Wright) Williams writes: Since retiring in 2008 after a 40-plus-year career (still working part time) as a reading specialist, I’m proud to be part of a band of not-so-retired activists who have created Tools 4 Teaching, a nonprofit recycling “store” for educators. We accept donations in Springfield, Massachusetts, of classroom materials from educators who are retiring or changing grade levels and getting them—at no cost—into the hands of colleagues. I hope retired teachers will donate any gently used teaching supplies to Tools 4 Teaching (check us out on Facebook and/or contact me at chrisew76@gmail.com).

Answer me this

What was your most memorable campus concert? We put this question on social media and got a barrage of enthusiastic responses.

1973, 1976G

Doug Cooney reports that Rob Gilbert ’69, ’79PhD has turned 70. Gilbert was a popular head of residence at UMass for 10 years for Washington Upper Tower in the 1970s. Readers might remember Rob for his outgoing and generous personality and as wrestling coach and founder of the Button Factory. Cooney (head of residence for Kennedy Middle 1975–1977) and Joanie Grzybowski ’82 recently joined Rob to celebrate the milestone. Rob and Doug both worked at UMass Summer Orientation and were also roommates at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Since leaving UMass, Rob has been a distinguished professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey and is a noted motivational speaker.

1974EdD

Hussein Ahdieh is a writer, speaker, and educator. Hussein was one of the founders and assistant headmaster of the Harlem Preparatory School and served as director of higher educational programs at Fordham University.

1975

Kathy Torpey Garganta will retire in June from a 33-plus-year career as a pubic higher ed faculty member and administrator. She was vice president of enrollment services at Bristol Community College.

1975

Liz Murphy writes: Wishing to connect to the great group of roommates who shared a brownstone on St. John’s Place in Brooklyn, New York, in 1975. We were all working in internships through the UMass Outreach program. My roommate worked at the Lincoln Center gallery. I worked for a small interior design firm in Midtown. Another roommate worked at the Village Voice. Our rooftop view of Manhattan, shared cool experiences, and the end-of-the-war celebration in Central Park all come to mind. Curtis, David, Kathy, Sharon, I would love to hear from you. Email: Liz@Lizmurphydesign.com.

1976G

Gail Nathena Hawkins writes professionally under the name Minerva Gail Hawkins, a nickname since age five. She is marking her 50th year as a published poet and journalist. Now living in Southern California, Gail is a member of the City of Burbank Tournament of Roses Float Association and says she felt a healthy dose of UMass pride while watching the UMass Minuteman Marching Band in the 2018 Rose Parade.

1976

Jim Mayher is an associate pastor in relational care at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, one of the largest churches in the United States. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife of 35 years, Marlaine, and his son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.

1977

Steven C. Blank, of the department of agricultural and applied economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

1979

Ray Pierson (chemical engineering) and Marcel Emond ’74, ’98G (Isenberg) are the owners of New City Brewery in East­hampton, Massachusetts, known for its ginger beer and Moscow mule. Ray writes: We have remained fanatical supporters of all that is UMass. I am a physician, and I have lived in California for 20 years, but I still have season tickets for basketball and travel around the U.S. to see various UMass sports teams compete.

1982

John P. “Jack” Riordan received the Mas­sachusetts Bar Association’s annual Community Service Award in December. Jack founded the Mochila Project, which provides backpacks and coats to children living below the poverty line in Brockton, Massachusetts. He is a past president and incorporator of the Brockton Boys & Girls Club.

1983, 1989G

Marisa Weinstein received the 2017 George N. Parks Award for Leadership in Music Education from the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). She is director of bands at Warsaw Middle School in Pittsfield, Maine.

1985MFA

Sussy Komala has been named codirector of what will be the world’s first low-residency international MFA in creative writing and literary translation at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

1987

Paul Collins is the president and owner of Collins Engineering, a software-engineering company in Worcester, Massachusetts.

1987

Sandy Lish received Tomorrow’s Women TODAY 2017 Woman of the Year award. Sandy is the principal and cofounder with Wendy Spivak ’82 of The Castle Group, a public relations and events firm based in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

1987

James Liston is in his third season as sports science director for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.

1989

John Pankauski, an attorney in south Florida, didn’t even like beer when he was an undergrad studying political science. He is now the owner of the West Palm Beach Brewery & Wine Vault. The tap room, wine-tasting room, and restaurant opened in November.

1994

Erin Moran Shapiro is the managing partner of the Northborough, Massachusetts, office of the law firm Atwood & Cherny PC. She is a longtime partner at the firm, concentrating on family law. She lives in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, with her husband and two daughters.

1998G

Cindy Kennedy is a resident of Wilbraham, Massachusetts. After an experience with Lyme disease, she started the podcast series Living with Lyme, which has been heard in 17 countries.

2002

Katie A. Niejadlik, pro bono manager for the law firm Fish & Richardson, received the “Leading Light” award from Immigration Equality at the organization’s annual SHINE event, which celebrates the accomplishments of civil rights leaders and supporters in the LGBTQ immigration movement. She works out of the firm’s Austin, Texas, office.

2003G

Rachel E. Muñoz has joined national workplace law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. in its Boston office. Her practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counseling.

2007

Paula Morissette Stanton was promoted to senior account manager at Broadreach Public Relations in Portland, Maine. She lives in Portland’s West End with her husband and dachshund.

2006S, 2008

Kevin Banks became the golf course manager at Vineyard Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard, the only all-organic golf course in the country, in 2016.

2010

Jared Phillips is co-owner and vice president of Clockhouse Realty Inc. in Somerset, Massachusetts.

2013

Arthur Xia, who was a 2014 Fulbright Scholar in China, is now an administrative assistant at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office for the Consumer Advocacy and Response Division (CARD), which provides assistance on consumer issues.

2014

Reed Fox is program manager for Street Soccer USA, which fights poverty and empowers underserved communities through soccer.

2017

Stephanie Burney, of Acton, Massachusetts, is serving as a health volunteer in the Peace Corps in South Africa.